Clothes treatment apparatus and a method for controlling a clothes treatment apparatus

Abstract

A clothes treatment apparatus and a method for controlling a clothes treatment apparatus are provided. The method may include feeding heated hot air to clothes or other items received in a drum, and dehydrating the clothes or other items by performing a first rotation cycle for rotating the drum at a first RPM for a predetermined period of time. The first RPM may be a RPM that allows a centrifugal force applied to the clothes or other items during rotation of the drum to exceed gravity.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for controlling a clothes treatment apparatus including a preceding drying cycle and a following drying cycle, which comes after the receding drying cycle, the method comprising:
 performing the preceding drying cycle having a dehydration cycle for removing moisture contained in the clothes, wherein the dehydration cycle includes:
 feeding hot air to the clothes received in a drum; and 
 dehydrating the clothes by performing a first rotation cycle including rotating the drum at a first RPM for a first predetermined period of time, wherein the first RPM is an RPM that allows a centrifugal force applied to the clothes during rotation of the drum to exceed gravity; and 
 
 performing the following drying cycle which dries new clothes and includes:
 measuring an interior temperature of a tub; 
 performing thermal balancing by turning off a drying heater and turning on a blower fan to feed unheated air into a drum it the interior temperature of the tub is greater than or equal to a preset reference temperature; and 
 performing a general drying cycle if the interior temperature of the tub is less than the preset reference temperature. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first RPM is higher than approximately 100 RPM. 
     
     
       3. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first RPM is higher than approximately 400 RPM. 
     
     
       4. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first rotation cycle further includes accelerating the drum continuously or stepwise at least until the drum reaches the first RPM. 
     
     
       5. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the feeding of hot air includes turning on the drying heater to heat air to be fed into the drum. 
     
     
       6. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the dehydrating includes turning off the drying heater. 
     
     
       7. The method according to  claim 1 , further including;
 driving the blower fan. 
 
     
     
       8. The method according to  claim 7 , wherein during an off state of the drying heater, the blower fan is driven, to feed unheated air into the drum; during an on state of the drying heater, the blower fan is driven, to feed heated air into the drum; or both. 
     
     
       9. The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the dehydrating further includes a second rotation cycle. 
     
     
       10. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein during the second rotation cycle, the drum is intermittently rotated at a second RPM. 
     
     
       11. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the second RPM is less than the first RPM. 
     
     
       12. The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the second rotation cycle includes repeatedly rotating the drum until the drum reaches at least the second RPM and stopping rotation of the drum after the drum reaches second RPM. 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 1 , further including:
 during the first rotation cycle, temporarily rotating the drum at a dehydration RPM, which is greater than the first RPM. 
 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 1 , further including at least one of:
 supplying wash water into the drum before the feeding of the hot air to the clothes; 
 the feeding of the hot air includes rotating the drum for a predetermined period of time; 
 the feeding of the hot air includes repeatedly rotating and stopping the drum; 
 receiving a signal input by a user for beginning the following drying cycle after completion of the preceding drying cycle; 
 additionally feeding hot air to the drum after the dehydrating; or 
 cooling the drum after completion of the additional feeding of hot air.